Contracts & Choices
by chrisk86
Summary: What if there had been a marriage contract between Harry Potter and Daphne Greengrass that activated only when both were the last of their lines? This one-shot is about the discovery of the contract and the deadly aftermath.


Daphne Greengrass was trembling. She was angrier than she'd ever been in her life and it was all because of her fucking family. _Why_, she kept asking herself. Why would her family, whose motto was _family above all else_, agree to a marriage contract with such a dark family? She badly wanted to blame her father or even her grandfather, but knew the blame lay many generations in the past. She wondered what her many times great-grandfather, Archibald Greengrass, had gained when he agreed to such a contract. By all intents and purposes, he was an ordinary man compared to her other relatives. Hell, he'd hardly merited a paragraph in their family grimoire. By comparison, her great-great-grandfather had merited a page and his greatest accomplishment was writing a very minor bill that the Winzegamot ultimately approved.

Her wand trembled in her hand. She'd known what she'd have to do the moment she read that name and she didn't give a damn if that contract was tied to her family's blood and magic. She was the last Greengrass and she'd be damned to see her family's honorable name become trampled by that incestuous bunch of dark wizards. Daphne stared at the letter and read the name again. Peverell…the name alone sent shivers down her spine. When anyone mentioned the name Peverell, they immediately thought of the trail of blood and death that particular family had left in their wake. It was a bit of a surprise to find there were any Peverells alive today, but Daphne figured they hid behind their dark magic.

_You know what you have to do_, thought Daphne and she trembled in fear. Daphne was going to die today, that much she was sure of. By his hand or her own, the deed would be done. The alternative made the sixteen-year-old witch sick to her stomach. It was no secret what a dark wizard would do to a young witch like herself. She'd be lucky if she lived past her twentieth birthday once she produced an heir and she would never allow a child with her family's blood to live in such an environment.

Daphne knew what she had to do. She'd murder that incestuous bastard or die trying.

Wiping away the steady stream of tears from her face, Daphne fumbled in the desk drawer and finally brought two sheets of parchment. The quill trembled in her hand as she dipped it in the black ink, but she no longer cared if her writing wasn't perfectly legible. She wrote furiously, wiping away the tears every few seconds until she was satisfied with the finished product.

_The Last Will and Testament of Daphne Ariana Greengrass_

She reread the two sheets of parchment several times over. For the will, the only thing that really mattered was that she was very clear on who was to receive what and that was easy since she only had one benefactor, her best friend, Tracey Davis. Once satisfied, Daphne furiously wiped the tears away once again before using the end of the quill to cut the end of her finger. Then she smeared the blood across the bottom of the page before putting the tip of her wand against the blood. There was a flash that lit up the whole letter and it was done. The will was sealed by blood and magic, and could not be contested.

"Copias", she muttered twice and her will duplicated itself two times over. She glanced at the marriage contract and decided to copy it two more times as well. She folded two of the stacks, with the originals going to Gringotts and the other would go to the Ministry of Magic. She stared at the third pile and added the personal letter to Tracy before sealing and writing Tracy's name on the front.

"Lala", she called and finally stood from the desk. A house-elf, who was just a little older than she was, popped inside the room.

"Yes Mistress", the house-elf said in a very soft tone of voice.

"Lala", said Daphne and clenched her eyes shut when a sudden wave of tears filled her eyes. She silently thanked the house-elf for always being so patient and quiet as she got her bearings about her. "You've been so good…to me and pa even after…" She sobbed and dropped to her knees to hug the bewildered house-elf.

"Mistress", whispered Lala.

"After…after today, everything will change for you. I…I won't be here anymore", said Daphne, still clutching the house-elf, who began protesting at the last. "No, just listen. I…I want to give you the opportunity…if you really want to, Lala, I will give you clothes".

"Mistress!" shouted Lala and Daphne backed away surprised at the normally placid house-elf's outburst. "Lala will always serve the Greengrasses!"

"I know, Lala, but after today…" Daphne sniffed loudly and quickly wiped her eyes again. "After today, there will be no more Greengrasses".

"But…but Mistress will live a long life and have many grandchildren", replied the house-elf.

"I wish that were true, but it isn't", said Daphne, knowing it was the truth. Despite what she wanted to do, Daphne knew she was no dueler. She doubted she'd last a second if that dark wizard raised his wand against her.

"Mistress?" asked Lala with tears in her own eyes. That made Daphne sob even more and she clutched the poor house-elf again.

"I'm going to leave you with Tracey", said Daphne once she recovered, "but if you don't want to go to her, I will free you right now".

"Lala will serve whoever Mistress wishes her to", replied the house-elf.

"But if you don't want to…"

"Lala will serve whoever Mistress wishes her to", replied the house-elf rather stubbornly.

"Tracey will be good to you", said Daphne, nodding her head. "But promise me you'll be patient with her. She's never owned a house-elf". Lala just nodded. "I need you to do one last thing for me, then. Tomorrow morning I need you to post these letters and pay the fees from the house vault". Lala nodded again. "This letter…I want you to hold on to it, Lala". Daphne clenched her eyes shut and chocked down a sob. "When I die, you're to deliver this straight to Tracey Davis and wait for her to give you orders".

"Yes Mistress", replied the house-elf as tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Oh, Lala, I hope you know I do love you", cried Daphne and hugged the house-elf, who for the first time, hugged her back. "I wish things were different, but this is the only way. One day you'll understand".

"If Lala could help Mistress…"

"No, you're not to help me", replied Daphne with a sad smile on her pretty face. "This is something I have to do alone". Lala nodded. "Thank you, Lala". The house-elf nodded, took the letter to Tracey and apparated out of the room.

Daphne wiped her eyes and stood. She drew her wand and placed her left hand over her right, but it still trembled mightily. She clenched her eyes shut and allowed her life to flash before her eyes. She was certain she was about to die, but she'd at least die fighting for the sanctity of her once proud family. Daphne nodded shakily and picked up the portkey that came with the letter.

She clenched her wand tightly and said, "Activate". As she traveled, Daphne prepared herself to meet her death. _

Harry Potter stared at the letter that had somehow appeared out of thin air only an hour before. He'd read it a dozen times, but still didn't really understand. It was written in old-English with tons of legal jargon, but he thought he got the gist of it. He had to marry Daphne Greengrass because they were the last heirs of their respective families. He didn't really understand how he could be a Peverell heir, but the contract was legitimate. If there was one good thing after his name came out of the Goblet of Fire, it was that he knew exactly how to see if a contract was real or not, and somehow this letter was sealed by his family's magic and blood.

He didn't know much about Daphne except for that she was a very quiet Slytherin girl, who had lost her whole family to Voldemort almost a month before that terrible Halloween. He'd stumbled upon that fact just a few months ago when he was browsing back issues of the Daily Prophet. That was when Voldemort had been quiet on the killing front and since no one would tell him what the hell was going on, he figured he'd might as learn some of the atrocities the monster had committed during the first war.

If it was another Slytherin, Harry didn't really know what he would do, but the moment he finally figured out what the contract meant by daily copulation until conception, he knew what he had to do. It was actually an easier decision than he thought. He could never force himself on anyone and that was what this contract was all about. If executed tonight, he would have to have sex with her whether they wanted to or not, or they'd both suffer the terrible consequences. Harry would rather die than rape an innocent girl who'd lost more than he did thanks to Voldemort.

No, the decision was easy. Besides, it wasn't like he had anyone anymore. He'd been at Privet Drive for a week and it was already similar to last summer. All was quiet on the letter front even though he'd written Ron and Hermione twice now. That was fine, really. They deserved each other. Tonight, he was going to die, and in a morbid sort of way, he was actually looking forward to it. He would finally be reunited with his parents and Sirius. He changed into his best wizarding robe and laid his wand down on the end-table by his bed.

Harry smiled sadly as he clutched the letter and portkey. He did not look around the room one last time nor did he have any desire to say goodbye to his relatives. He didn't even care to write his friends one last time. He simply said, "Activate", and disappeared from Privet Drive forever. Tonight, he would welcome death with open arms.

Daphne arrived in a large room with ancient stone walls and equally ancient portraits that stared at her in wonder as soon as she appeared. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, wiped the tears away and avoided their inquiring gazes as she strode down the length of a corridor by the light of the flaming torches.

The corridor opened into a large circular room that was probably used for entertaining at some point or another. The furniture was now decrepit and for a brief moment Daphne glanced around, wondering what sort of history that room held, but then she saw a hooded wizard standing in the middle of the room with his back to her. Her eyes widened, unable to believe her luck. She raised her wand and slowly walked towards him until he was only ten feet away. Still he did not turn around. She guessed he must be hard of hearing, but it didn't matter to her.

She brought forth her most dreadful memories and allowed herself to be encumbered by all the hate and anger for the first time in her life…the screams of her family muffled by a rush of flames…Marcus Flint pinning her against a wall…Lucius Malfoy warning her great-grandfather they'd be next if they didn't side with Voldemort…her great-grandfather's body, unblemished yet cold…the dark wizard in front of her raping throughout the night…a cry of a baby girl that looked just like her.

Daphne's wand was steady now and for the first time that night she did not wipe away the tears. She looked malevolently at the dark wizard as she called forth all that hate inside of her and shrieked at the top of her lungs:

"AVADA KEDAVRA!"

Harry Potter heard a small gasp behind him and forced himself not to show any reaction. He closed his eyes as she walked towards him, believing it would come any second now. He wondered what was taking so long and almost decided to taunt her in order to get her good and angry. Then, he heard the words he'd once dreaded. Tonight, he welcomed them.

"AVADA KEDAVRA!"

Harry Potter grinned. There was a flash of green and he opened his arms, welcoming death.

Daphne Greengrass blinked once, twice and then a third time for good measure. Had that truly just happened? She was certain she'd killed him, but that's not what confused her. At the very last moment, she swore he suddenly raised his arms, almost as if he welcomed death.

She slowly walked towards him and furrowed her brow when a sudden case of nerves hit her in the gut. Daphne kneeled and stared at the hooded wizard who was lying on his stomach. She took a deep breath and with shaky hands flipped him over then screamed bloody murder, recoiling in shock.

"NO!" she shrieked upon seeing the second-to-last living person she ever wanted to kill. "WAKE UP! NO! SHIT! SHIT! SHIT! FUCK!" Daphne sobbed and clutched him tightly, begging every deity she knew to not let him be dead. "Please, I didn't mean it. I didn't know. Please, damn it, take me instead!"

However, no matter what she said, Harry Potter was dead with that damnable grin he normally reserved for Quidditch on his face. It took five minutes for Daphne to fully accept that she'd murdered Harry Potter, but she did not move away from him. Instead, she clutched his body even closer and sobbed into his chest. How could she have been so stupid? If only she'd have just had him turned around then...Daphne's sobs renewed with a vengeance, quite sure she'd just destroyed the only chance of Voldemort's defeat.

The pain was finally manageable and Albus Dumbledore stared at his blackened arm in morbid curiosity. This changed everything. All of his meticulous plans were now destroyed. The boy would have to be told about the Horcruxes. Albus closed his eyes, wondering how that sweet boy would ever accomplish such a monumental task. Regret immediately filled him. He could have done so much more for the boy, but had chosen to let him suffer both inside of Hogwarts and out. He'd built the perfect weapon, a glorified sacrificial lamb, but he never intended for Harry to do anything more than stand against Voldemort that final time before he welcomed death.

Albus closed his eyes, wondering how the boy could possibly do it when he himself couldn't. Sure, there were times when the boy fought back against the Horcrux inside him enough to reach his full potential, but those times were far and few between. Now, with the death of Sirius Black, Albus wondered if Harry would ever feel enough love to physically block Voldemort's soul from his own enough to perform the kind of powerful magic necessary. The answer was he couldn't, especially when Albus was no longer around to keep Voldemort at bay. No, Albus knew exactly what the Dark Lord would do when he was no longer among the living. Voldemort would use the connection and attack the boy's mind relentlessly. Harry would be no better than an average fourth year unless he figured out how to block the connection and Occlumency clearly was not the answer.

Albus basked in the silence of his office as he wondered how he could possibly provide the necessary help for the boy to defeat Voldemort. Miss Granger could certainly do the research, but Albus knew…the Headmaster shook himself as he wondered why his office was so quiet. For the last fifteen years he'd depended on the constant tick and puffing of a certain instrument. It was like music to his ears, verifying the boy was still alive and whole. It was the very first instrument he'd fixed after the boy's outburst, but tonight it was silent.

"SEVERUS!" he shouted, eyes widening in horror.

"I'm almost finished with the…" Severus looked up from the last potion he was brewing and his eyes widened. "Is it spreading again?"

"No, the instrument!" shouted Albus. "The one that monitors the boy's life force!"

"Yes, it…" Severus turned and glanced at the table. "It's dripping some sort of black…"

"GO!" shouted Albus in horror. "Go, Severus, to Privet Drive at once! I fear the worst has happened!"

Severus dashed to the fireplace as Albus shouted and didn't even break pace as he chunked a handful of floo powder inside. "Arabella Figg!" As soon as Severus disappeared, Albus broke down in sobs and prayed to any deity that would listen to spare the boy, at least until the Headmaster was ready for the boy to sacrifice himself. Only then, he could go gently into that good night.

It'd been years since Severus Snape ran. He was already out of breath upon exiting Mrs. Figg's home, but tonight depended on him running as if his life depended on it and he did not disappoint. He arrived at No. 4 Privet Drive in a mere minute. As he rapidly approached, Severus pulled out his wand, but at the last moment he reminded himself he couldn't do magic anywhere near Potter's home because the Ministry heavily monitored the area for any magic whatsoever.

He skidded to a halt and cursed aloud upon finding the door locked. For a brief moment, he thought of kicking the door down, but knew it was no use. Instead, he repeatedly banged on the door as hard as he could until he heard someone click the lock. A fat muggle man cracked the door open and that was all Severus needed.

"MOVE!" he ordered and pushed on the door as hard as he could. The fat man went tumbling to the ground. "Where is he?!"

"SEVERUS SNAPE!" shrieked Petunia, her eyes wide in terror.

"Where is he, Petunia?!" asked Severus and didn't feel the least bit ashamed using passive legilimency on the simple-minded muggle. The boy was in his room just as he'd mostly been since arriving home from school a week ago. "POTTER!" There was no answer, not that Severus was waiting for one. He'd shouted this as he sprinted up the stairs. He paused only for a brief moment upon seeing several locks and a cat flap on the boy's door before bursting into his bedroom.

The first thing he noticed was Potter's trunk lying in the middle of the messy room. His Hogwarts things were strewn around the room and it looked as though he'd started on his summer homework. Severus gazed briefly at the bed and immediately did a double take.

"No", he whispered as he slowly walked towards the end-table, feeling nothing but dread in his empty heart. It was Potter's wand. He collapsed on the bed, knowing everything was all for naught. Lily's son was dead. There was only one thing that could have made the moment worse and it happened a moment later. There was a pull on his Dark Mark. Severus closed his eyes, trying to wrangle control of his emotions. He stood from the bed and left the room exactly as he found it.

"Now, you listen here!" shouted the fat muggle. Severus caught his eye and didn't even bother being sneaky. He blasted the simple-minded muggle's mind wide open and saw a snippet of Harry Potter's life at Privet Drive. It was the exact opposite of what he expected and utter fury filled him. He used all of his power and blasted into the muggle's mind once again. The muggle collapsed to the ground.

"What did you do?!" shrieked Petunia and Severus caught her eye, forcing her to the ground just the same as her husband. He fervently wished he could have killed them, but this was as much as he could do without using his wand. There was one thing he knew for certain. If Petunia and her fat muggle husband ever saw a wizard again, they would not look him in the eye.

"And you call yourself Lily's sister", said Severus in disgust and spat on the floor of the perfectly clean house before walking out the door. He jogged back to Mrs. Figgs, who met him at the door.

"Severus, what…" Severus caught her eye and easily entered her mind. He saw snippets of Harry Potter, but nothing useful. He angrily threw a handful of floo powder into the fireplace and disappeared without a word. Severus arrived at his home, preparing himself for what was about to happen. He clutched his wand as he donned the Death Eater regalia once last time.

Tonight he would destroy the Dark Lord once and for all. He certainly wouldn't do it for Harry Potter. He would do it for Lily, the best friend he ever had. The Potions Professor held no disillusions concerning what would happen once he dealt that fatal blow. He wouldn't last another second if Bellatrix were anywhere near, but that was acceptable as long as he avenged Lily Evans.

Severus Snape knew without a doubt he was going to die tonight.

Daphne Greengrass clutched her wand in absolute misery. She didn't know for certain, but if the Daily Prophet was correct, she'd just murdered the Chosen One, the only wizard capable of defeating Voldemort. She was past the point of sobbing or even caring. She'd shamed not only herself, but her family. She deserved to die.

Daphne Greengrass was going to die tonight by her own hand. She held her wand close to her temple.

"REDUCTO!"

Severus Snape arrived in the middle of nowhere in a countryside field. He immediately took in his surroundings, noting the Death Eaters were assembled in a circle with the most important nearest Voldemort. Severus could not have hoped for better circumstances, having dreaded another dinner meeting at the Malfoys, and took his place in the empty space beside Bellatrix.

"Severus, I'm so glad you could grace us with your presence", said the Dark Lord. A few of the lower Death Eaters mistook that for humor and their chuckles were immediately silenced by a single glare from the Dark Lord.

"I'm sorry for my tardiness, my lord", replied Severus smoothly. "I could not get away from the old fool as soon as I desired".

"Step forward, Severus", said the Dark Lord. Severus immediately did so, wondering why Harry Potter's dead body wasn't at Voldemort's feet. There were also no celebrations like he had expected to find. Even Bellatrix looked impassive, almost worried even, which told Severus the Dark Lord must have killed Potter without the knowledge of any of his Death Eaters. It was no matter. If he had it his way, there would be no celebrations tonight.

"What news Severus?" asked the Dark Lord.

"News, milord?" asked Severus, looking Voldemort straight in the eye. He wondered what he could possibly say that he hadn't said only a day before. Severus saw the Dark Lord's move his wand towards him and knew exactly what was coming, but he would never be put under the Cruciatus Curse again. He forced his eyes to widen and brought forth an image of a masked Death Eater drawing his wand behind Voldemort's back.

"Cru…" The Dark Lord started before swiftly turning around. As he did so, he shouted, "AVADA KEDAVRA!"

"AVADA KEDAVRA!" shouted Severus almost exactly at the same time. The countryside briefly flashed in green as the sound of two bodies hit the ground, one right after the other. Severus didn't know who the first body belonged to, but he knew for certain the second belonged to the Dark Lord. The Half-Blood Prince did not stick around to gloat his bittersweet revenge. He immediately hit the ground, twisting around as he did so.

"AVADA KEDAVRA!" The countryside lit up in a brilliant green and there were sounds of bodies hitting the ground all around him, but Severus paid it no mind. His wand was already on Bellatrix before she even uttered the Killing Curse.

'_Sectumsempra!'_ he thought, slashing his wand at her head. For a brief moment, he truly thought he'd missed, but then he saw a trail of blood running diagonally across her forehead. The top half of Bellatrix Lestrange's head slide right off as the rest of her body slumped to the ground a half second later.

Severus stared for a brief second, unable to believe he had just killed the Dark Lord and Bellatrix in one go. All this time, the old fool had told him to stay his hand, that only the Potter boy could hope to defeat the Dark Lord. Severus found it a bit humorous that it was only because of Harry Potter's death, did he finally find the courage to do what was necessary. He was a man that finally had nothing to live for and he could literally feel death upon him.

"FIENDFYRE!" shrieked Severus Snape and he cackled in glee upon seeing a fiery dragon leap from his wand and begin to engorge everything in its path. Out of the corner of his eyes, Severus saw a flash of green and he didn't even have time to think of Lily Evans one last time before everything suddenly went black.

Amelia Bones had seen a lot of things over the years. Fiendfyre was normally something she dreaded. It brought back memories of the past when almost the entire Greengrass family was slaughtered by Voldemort, but tonight was different. It was confirmed, thanks to the capture of Peter Pettigrew, that the victims of the Fiendfyre were all Death Eaters. Additionally, somewhere in all that ash, was what was left of Lord Voldemort and Bellatrix Lestrange. It was quite unprofessional of her, but she couldn't help but smile vindictively, kick and spit at the piles of ashes, especially when she learned of Voldemort's plans to murder her the very next night.

"You are certain, Alastor?" asked Albus Dumbledore, feeling quite numb.

"Caught the little bugger myself", replied Alastor Moody with a dark chuckle. "Pettigrew was in his rat form and trying to run away. I'll not bore you with the details of his capture, but he was more than willing to share all the information he had after I got through with him. Even provided a memory of what happened".

"Severus?"

"He killed them all with the exception of Pettigrew", replied Moody. "Any idea what lit a fire under his arse?"

Albus glanced at the instrument that was still dripping a black liquid and reluctantly nodded. "Voldemort killed Harry Potter tonight".

"Excuse me", replied Moody, his jubilant mood suddenly doing a complete one eighty. "You're certain?" In reply, Albus pointed at the instrument and that was all that needed to be said. "How did he get past the enchantments at Privet Drive?"

"I do not know, but Harry Potter is dead", replied Dumbledore. Internally, he added, _'and I will not be far behind him'_. "And I am sad to say, Alastor, that Voldemort is not dead. He is defeated, yes, but he will rise again just the same as before".

"But…how…bloody dark magic…if I had my way…"

"The difference between last time and this time is I, with the help of Harry, have been able to confirm Voldemort's means of immortality", began Albus. "With any luck, we can render him a mortal before he even dreams of his rebirth".

"What can I do?" asked the grizzled auror eagerly.

"Sadly, Alastor, this is not a job any one man can accomplish", said Albus. "I need you to get the word out to…a select few individuals …Minerva and yourself, of course…Remus…Bill…Kingsley and Nymphadora…" Alastor nodded emphatically in favor of the two aurors he had vouched for when they'd joined the Order. "Lastly, Amelia Bones…tell her there will be no more lies or half-truths…just straight facts concerning the questions she has long had".

"That should get her to come", replied Alastor, knowing there was no love lost between Amelia and Albus. Sure, they worked together in a professional capacity during their time on the Wizengamot, but she had long voiced concerns that he was holding vital information back.

"Tell them all to be prepared to give an Unbreakable Vow", stated Dumbledore. "I shall word the vow myself and allow suggestions to the wording should any of you believe it to be too vague". Alastor nodded. "We shall meet at Hogwarts at ten o'clock tomorrow morning. The gates will allow all of them access".

"I trust Alastor told you all why you are here?" asked Dumbledore. They all nodded solemnly. Many in their world had celebrated the death of Lord Voldemort once more, but those who knew Harry Potter had mourned his passing. "Before we begin, I will require all of you to give an Unbreakable Vow. You will all understand why I require such secrecy after I explain everything."

There was a bit of arguing over the wording and he allowed the changes, knowing each of their lives were at stake. Amelia had even forced him to make an Unbreakable Vow of his own before they even started. It was her own wording and he didn't bother to change it. Once the vows were complete, Albus Dumbledore was brutally honest for the first time he could remember. He told them everything, from the prophecy, to how Harry Potter had confirmed his theory concerning Horcruxes by giving him the diary. Then, he'd shown them memories of Voldemort's past and how he thought some of his past behavior was relevant.

"Why now, Albus?" asked Amelia after Albus was finally finished. "What has changed? I know Harry Potter's death must be hard to accept, but you've always held things close to the vest. Why now?"

"The answer is rather simple", replied Albus as he slowly took off the glove that was covering his blackened hand. Gasps immediately filled the room. "By my own estimation, I have roughly a year to live and I do not intend on taking any secrets related to Voldemort to my grave."

"Albus, how could this have happened?" asked Minerva softly.

"It was my own error", replied Albus. "A folly of my youth. It is a mistake I am certain none of you will make. The Horcruxes are quite dangerous, yes, but you will have each other. Their destruction, however, is normally seemingly impossible, but thanks to Harry Potter, we have the perfect weapon against them." Albus paused and pointed at the sword on display in his office. "Gryffindor's Sword was goblin-made, which I'm sure all of you know that goblin-made items only imbibe that which makes them stronger."

"The Basilisk", said Bill Weasley, eyes widened in shock.

"Exactly", replied Dumbledore, nodding at Fawkes. "There is only one known cure to basilisk venom and I am certain a phoenix would never willingly heal something so tainted."

"Where do we start?"

"Oh, I daresay, at the beginning."

It had taken the select group of seven more than three years to track down the remaining Horcruxes and destroy them. Because of the added stress, Albus Dumbledore did not make it through the school year. Many mourned, but most of the seven did not. They still respected the late Headmaster, but some had come to despise him for his obsessive need to hide information. If he'd told them from the precise moment Harry Potter had given him the diary perhaps the young wizard would still be alive.

"So that's it then", said Bill Weasley, standing over the Hufflepuff's Cup with Gryfinddor's Sword in hand. They were crowded around the Headmistress's desk at Hogwarts and the last Horcrux had just been destroyed.

"A bit anti-climactic, wasn't it?" asked Mad-Eye.

"Would you have rather dueled him one last time, Alastor?" asked Amelia Bones and the grizzled auror didn't bother to answer. "Nymphadora, please thank your mother once again. It was quite…fortuitous that she inherited the Lestrange vault."

"I will, Minister Bones", replied Tonks, knowing better than to correct the Minister for Magic on her use of her given name.

"How about a toast?" asked Kingsley Shacklebolt. He conjured seven glasses and poured a bit of Firewhiskey in each. "To Albus Dumbledore."

They all downed the shot and Kingsley filled the glasses once more.

"To Harry Potter."

"To Harry Potter!"

The first thing he was aware of was the sweet smell of vanilla. He inhaled deeply then exhaled and did so twice more. Harry Potter was perfectly content lying against the soft breasts of Daphne Greengrass, but he knew there were things that needed to happen before midnight. He certainly did not want to die tonight. Upon opening his eyes, they widened in horror. They shouted at the same time:

"NO!"

"REDUCTO!"

Harry set his feet and pushed off with all his might. At the same time, he swung his arm forward and punched her arm as hard as he could. There was a shriek and an explosion. Harry used his remaining momentum to protect her body from falling debris with his own, but it was unnecessary. The spell exploded against the ancient stone walls, which accepted the damage without complaint.

"Alright there, Greengrass?" asked Harry from atop her, resisting the urge to smile upon seeing the Slytherin girl's stunned expression.

"I…I killed you", whispered Daphne Greengrass.

"You did", confirmed Harry, not the least bit perturbed.

"I killed you", she repeated, staring at him in awe.

"I think we've established that already", replied Harry, deciding maybe if he smiled at her he could express that there were no hard feelings.

"But I killed you", she insisted and suddenly raised her hands and caressed his cheeks. "How are you alive?"

"If I told you I was Harry Potter, would that answer your question?" he asked.

"You were dead", she said and he nodded. "I don't understand".

Harry sighed and reluctantly moved from atop her. "Sit up. We have much to discuss, but first…" He dug in his pocket as she sat up and took out the marriage contract that had caused this series of events to happen. "I know we don't know each other, Daphne, but we can make this work. Besides, I don't want to die tonight".

"I don't either", admitted Daphne, really considering accepting the marriage contract for the first time. In fact, now that she knew whom it was with, there was nothing to think about.

"You sure?" asked Harry, recalling what he'd stopped her from doing only a moment before.

"I thought I'd murdered you", replied Daphne, staring at the ground instead of at him. His hand appeared in her sight and he softly grabbed her chin, forcing her to meet his eyes.

"Just promise you'll never think about doing that again", he said.

"I promise", she replied immediately and truly meant it. She'd never thought about suicide before that moment when she decided to do it and knew, short of murdering an innocent person, she'd never have such thoughts again.

The wedding ceremony was not anything like the one she'd imagined, but it was much better than the horrible alternatives she'd imagined the moment she'd read the name Peverell. She wondered how exactly Potter was related to them, but that was a question for another time. She dragged herself out of bed and ignored the soreness between her legs. As far as she was concerned, that was a small price to pay for killing Harry Potter. How he'd survived the Killing Curse was another question that ran rampant in her mind, but it was definitely a question for another time.

She arrived in the kitchen and paused upon seeing him with his head buried inside the newspaper. She didn't know what was odder, the sight of Harry Potter, shirtless and sitting at her kitchen table, or the sight of him pouring over the morning prophet.

"What are you…?"

"Daphne, you've got to read this?!" He shouted and quickly stood. That wasn't the only thing standing, but she chose to ignore that particular appendage. Instead, she leaned over the kitchen table and read:

"VOLDEMORT AND FOLLOWERS DEAD!"

"HARRY POTTER MOURNED!"

"Wait what?" asked Daphne and quickly began reading the article concerning the death of Harry Potter.

"They think I'm dead", said Harry and he was grinning like an idiot.

"I don't understand", stated Daphne. "Everyone thinks you're dead."

"I know, and it feels bloody fantastic!" he said with excitement mixed in every word. "I don't have to be the bloody Boy-Who-Lived anymore. I can just be Harry."

"But…but surely you want to let everyone know you're alive."

"Eventually perhaps, but not now."

"What about Hogwarts?" she asked. "It's not like you can finish without anyone knowing you're Harry Potter."

"Who said anything about finishing?"

"So what exactly do you plan on doing the rest of your life?" she asked. "You can't exactly get a top paying job without your NEWTs."

"I've got enough money to last several lifetimes", he answered with a shrug.

"Congratulations, Potter, but what about the family you'll leave behind?" she asked. "Don't you think it's better to leave them with more than you started with?"

"I'm bloody sixteen years old…I don't want to think about…" He stopped when she gave him a look. "Alright, if worse comes to worse I can always play Quidditch professionally." Her first thought was to reply with something snarky about what a high opinion of himself he must have, but she knew he was correct. Potter could try out for any Quidditch today and most likely beat out any first-choice seeker not named Krum.

"What of my education?" she asked after a moment. "Are you going to force me to…?"

"I'm not going to force you to do anything", he replied. "If you want to go to Hogwarts, you're more than welcome."

"But the contract", she began to argue.

"By the end of summer, if you aren't pregnant then we'll figure something out", he concluded.

"You don't mean…" she trailed off, already knowing the answer, but he provided it anyway.

"The contract only states we have to have sex once per day. The way I see it is if we do it, lets say six times…alright, alright…just multiple times a day then that'll increase the chances by…" He trailed off when she gave him a dirty look. "You did try to kill me."

"You're always gonna hold that against me, aren't you?" she asked grumpily.

"I'm always gonna hold something against you", he quipped with a sudden grin on his face. It took her a moment to get it and then glared at him. "If it makes you feel better, I'll let you get on top again."

"Oh, why thank you, Potter, that is ever so courteous of you", she snarkily replied.

"Or I could just bend you over the table", he suggested.

She laughed, believing now more than ever that it would work between them, and said, "I'd like to see you try!"

"That's just gross", she said, scrunching up her nose. "I'll not shag where I eat."


End file.
